Everything you should know about anime action MMO SoulWorker

If you're looking for more online anime action, SoulWorker is definitely going to be worth taking a stab at. This colorful, cel-shaded MMO has a cast of eight characters to choose from, with their own backstories and skills to dive into. Its speedy combo-based combat is all about thrashing groups of enemies and scooping up their loot to upgrade your gear for bigger challenges.

When you jump in, you'll be introduced to the post-apocalyptic city of Cloudream. The city was devastated by a mysterious portal called the Vacuum fifteen years ago, letting demons and monsters into the world. Humans who were consumed by The Void later returned with special powers. You'll play as one of them, SoulWorkers whose supernatural abilities are fueled by their emotions, to fight in the war against the demons that invaded the world. 

When does SoulWorker launch? 

SoulWorker launched on May 13th on Steam where it's free to play. The new global launch is available in English and Traditional Chinese—separate from its prior release in Korea, China, and Japan—and includes SoulWorker's newest content and characters. 

What kind of MMO is SoulWorker? 

SoulWorker is an action MMO where you can tackle story missions and dungeons either solo or by bringing along up to three friends in co-op. Rather than a completely open world MMO, SoulWorker has hub areas where players gather before heading out into instanced combat zones.

Although it isn't a totally persistent world, you'll find SoulWorker has plenty of other MMO-standard features. You can form guilds with other players. A player marketplace allows you to buy and sell items when you return to town. The housing system lets you decorate your character's room in all sorts of extravagant styles using items you can create from gathered materials. Oh, and of course there's fashion too. Cosmetic outfits over the top of your combat gear can make your character stand out while hanging around town.

Each of SoulWorker's cities has its own combat zones to battle through. Combat areas, called Districts, will challenge you to hack, slash, and dodge your way through until you've cleared every enemy. You may be able to solo Districts early on, but completing their standard difficulty unlocks the hard and "manic" difficulties, which you'll likely want to call up your friends to help out with. SoulWorker does also have an energy system, a daily resource that you'll spend to enter Districts and other challenges.

SoulWorker has a tried and true routine of accepting quests in town, running story missions or dungeons for loot, and using what you bring back to upgrade your gear and take on tougher challenges. What gives SoulWorker its specific edge is its engaging combat.

Here's how SoulWorker's combat works 

SoulWorker's fast-paced combat involves plenty of movement and quick thinking. Each of the character classes has their own particular skills and weapon type, but the goal is always to whip up the highest combos possible by keeping the heat on your enemies. 

Most importantly, you've got total control over how your combos are chained together. Every character has a set of active and passive skills to unlock. Active skills are organized into your own custom layout so you can control which attacks lead into others. Choosing which skills to upgrade and unlock, along with designing your own combo flow, means you can fine-tune how your characters fight. 

You'll have to stay focused in combat, dashing to avoid enemy attacks while you set up your own combos full of explosive effects and bigger special attacks. SoulWorker also has collectible cards called Akashic Record that you can find and equip to give your characters active and passive benefits in combat. 

After you've gotten used to grouping and eliminating normal enemy waves, boss fights and raids present bigger challenges where your mastery of skill types and combo chaining are even more important.

SoulWorker has eight characters to choose from 

SoulWorker's characters are tied to their classes, meaning you'll want to consider the combat style when you're picking your favorite hero. You can choose from a solid mix of ranged or melee, tanks and damage dealers. SoulWorker is even adding another character in July. With her sniper rifle, Lee Nabi will be the first long-range female fighter of the bunch. 

Here's the roster of SoulWorkers you have access to at launch:

Haru Estia - A shy girl on the outside but motivated by revenge on the inside, Haru uses a sword and has a balanced melee approach to combat. 

Erwin Arclight - Charming and reckless, Erwin wields dual pistols, meaning he can move quick and fight from a greater distance than others.

Lily Bloommerchen - With a massive reaper scythe, Lily is a fierce fighter who can control crowds of enemies by pulling them in for deadly combos.

Stella Unibell - Cute but full of sadness, Stella uses a guitar as a weapon and is also supported by her ghostly wolf allies.

Iris Yuma - Full of rage and with a giant hammer to prove it, Iris fights at close range and can damage large groups of enemies with area of effect attacks.

Jin Seipatsu - As a fighter for justice, Jin boxes with knuckles as his weapon. He's effective at resisting attacks with his high defense.

Chii Aruel - Possessed by the spirit of a cat, Chii is a fast fighter with her Single Edge, dealing out damage quicker than other characters.

Ephnel - With her giant spear, Ephnel controls the power of the wind, letting her dish out area of effect attacks like lightning and tornadoes.